Two Hearts, One Soul
by samile
Summary: Winters meets a young woman while he is in England. Their relationship gradually develops over the course of the war.
1. Chapter 1

**Two Hearts, One Soul**

**_This is something I've been working on for awhile now. I realize this is a fairly common theme and that several writers are writing stories along similar lines, but it is a theme I enjoy. Hope you all like it and let me know what you think!_**

**Winters**

Two days after Easy Company returned to England from the drop into Normandy, Dick Winters found himself sitting outside the local pub in Aldbourne, listening to the loud, raucous noises coming from the drunken paratroopers celebrating inside.

He could have gone in and joined them, but somehow that held little appeal, especially since he didn't drink. It was never fun for him to be the only sober one at a gathering; it made him feel too much like the odd man out. So, he chose to remain there on the bench, by himself, thinking about nothing in particular.

"Is this seat taken?" a gentle voice broke through the fog that had wrapped itself around his mind.

He looked up and saw a young woman standing a few feet from him. She was of medium height, with brown hair and blue eyes; there was nothing remarkable about her appearance but she had a pleasant, open face.

"No, please, go ahead," he responded, immediately a bit uncomfortable as usual in the presence of the opposite sex.

"Thank you," the woman replied. "I'm just here to wait for my sister Jane and didn't feel like going in after her."

Winters gave her a soft smile. "That's understandable. It's a little wild in there. I'm Dick, by the way, Dick Winters."

"I'm Michelle Adams," she responded with a smile. "So, Dick, why aren't you in there with the rest of the soldiers?"

"For the same reason you're out here-I'm enjoying the quiet. Though, I must say, your company is a welcome treat." As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt his face begin to heat up; he was never this forward with women.

"As is yours," she said, looking down at her lap as if she, too, were unsure of herself.

"So, you live here in Aldbourne?" he inquired.

"Yes, I have for the last few years. I was born in the States but when my parents moved here, I came with them. England is such a beautiful place, I can't imagine ever wanting to leave."

He smiled at her, listening as she spoke.

"Ah, so that explains why you hardly have an accent. I didn't think I'd been here long enough to get used to it so quickly," he told her.

"Are you an officer, Dick? Forgive me, but I'm not all that good at knowing Army rank."

"Yes, I am. I'm a Lieutenant in Easy Company, part of the 101st Division."

"Oh, yes, I've heard lots of talk about the different companies staying around here, but never really paid that much attention to the specifics."

"I don't blame you. There's so many of us, it can get confusing after awhile."

Just then, the door to the pub burst open and a laughing girl a little older than Michelle came stumbling out.

"Michelle!" the girl called out. "You know, you could come in and wait, you might actually have a good time if you just let yourself."

"Well, Jane, funny you should say that as I was just having a lovely conversation with Lieutenant Winters here."

Jane suddenly seemed to notice him sitting there and flashed him a smile.

"Come on, Michelle, let's get going. I have to get up early tomorrow," said Jane, turning to walk down the narrow, flower-lined lane.

"I'll be right there," she answered. Turning to Dick, she asked, "will you be here tomorrow evening? I'd like to talk to you again if you don't mind."

"Uh, yes, I'll….I'll be right here. How does 8:00 sound to you?" he managed to stammer out.

"Perfect. I'll see you then." Then, without further ado, she turned and followed her sister down the lane.

Watching them leave, Winters thought about what had transpired over the last half hour, and wondered if tomorrow's meeting could be considered a date. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been on a date.

He walked all the way back to his quarters with a smile on his face and a spring in his step, the likes of which hadn't been evident since well before he left the states.

**Michelle**

She hadn't even realized she'd been smiling as she walked home until Jane called her on it.

"So, Michelle, what are you so happy about?"

It took her a minute to answer and when she did her words came out soft and slow.

"I guess…I guess I have a date."

"A date?!" Jane squealed. "Are you serious? I never thought I'd see the day. My little sister is finally growing up."

"Cut it out Jane, I'm almost 20. I'm not that little anymore."

"Oh, I know, but this is your first date. I'm so happy for you. Wait until mother and father hear!" Jane was practically beaming at this point.

"Jane, Jane, it's just a first date. It's not like he proposed to me, so relax a bit."

"Fine, but promise you'll share all the details with me when you come home."

"If I share, will you quit pestering me?" 

"I could do that."

"Then it's a deal."

A cool breeze was blowing through the hedgerows, sending the soft scent of roses and honeysuckle drifting through the air. It was such a perfect night; Michelle hated to go inside, even though the two had reached their front porch. Closing her eyes, she took one last deep breath, letting the night air wash over her face before turning and closing the door behind her.

**Winters**

He was sprawled on his bunk, lost in thought, pleased with the fact it was a Friday night, pleased that the whole weekend stretched before him, and pleased that he was meeting Michelle again the next evening.

He wasn't exactly sure what it was that drew him to her, but there was just a certain air about her that intrigued him. His head was still in the clouds when Nixon stumbled in half an hour later.

"Hey, Dick, how're you?" Nix asked, obviously drunk, but hiding it admirably.

"I'm good. I'd ask you the same question, but I think I already know the answer," he said with a smirk.

"You wound me, Dick. I'll have you know, I'm not that drunk, so don't look at me like that. Come to think of it, why do you look like that? If I didn't know better, I'd say you looked positively elated."

He rolled his eyes skyward before allowing them to come to rest once again on Nix.

"Can't I be happy?"

"Well, yes, I suppose you could be, but, come on, Dick, this is you we're talking about. You give a whole new meaning to the term serious and proper. So cut me a little slack if I act surprised to walk in here and find you grinning like a fool. Are you gonna tell me why you're so happy or do I have to guess?"

Sitting up with a sigh, Winters swung his legs over the edge of the cot and rested his elbows on his knees.

"I have a date tomorrow night."

"Ha, that's funny Dick. Now really, why are you all smiles?"

Winters gave him a long look.

"…You're serious? Damn, Dick, I didn't think you had it in you. Had all of us fooled into thinking you were never going to go after any girl. Good for you Dick, good for you. So, can I ask who the young lady is?"

"Her name is Michelle. I met her while I was sitting outside the pub tonight. We started talking while she was waiting for her sister and decided to meet there again tomorrow night."

Flopping down onto his own bed, Nixon peered over at his friend.

"You know, Dick, you have to be the only person I know who'd get a date while sitting _outside _a pub."

Winters just smiled and stretched back out against his pillow.

**Michelle**

Michelle had spent the day in a flurry of activity. Due to the fact there were so many American military forces quartered throughout the town and surrounding areas, there was a good deal of work to be had if one wanted it. Michelle herself had volunteered to act as a runner of sorts between the regimental and battalion headquarters in the camp for the 101st, which was the only reason she'd known what division Dick had been talking about the night before. The job was something she found enjoyable to do, even though she knew very little of what was going on.

It was while she was delivering a message to Colonel Sink that she overheard the officer lamenting over a shortage of translators in the regiment. She had been just about to leave when this statement made her stop in her tracks.

With a bit of uncertainty clouding her features, she turned to face the Colonel.

"Sir? Permission to speak?"

"Certainly, go ahead." 

"Sir, I apologize, but I couldn't help but overhear you saying you were in need of translators. German translators, I assume?"

At his nod, she continued.

"Well, sir, I realize this is probably a bit unusual, but I speak fluent German and if you will accept me, I'd be willing to act as an interpreter."

"How old are you, miss," Colonel Sink inquired.

"I'll be 20 here shortly, sir."

"I have to say, that under normal circumstances, there is no way I'd consider your offer. After all, you are a woman and we are heading into a combat zone."

He paused for a moment.

"However, I am admittedly desperate. If you are willing, the job is yours. Can you come by here tomorrow, around 0900 hours so we can discuss this further?"

"Yes, sir, I'll be here."

"Oh, and if it eases your mind any, you can tell your loved ones you won't be on the front lines. We can use your skills at HQ where we'll need you to analyze German intelligence."

"Yes sir, thank you."

As she headed out the door, she couldn't believe how the last five minutes had completely changed the course of her life.

**Winters**

The day dragged on slowly, filled with mundane tasks such as straightening out supply issues, censoring mail, and inspecting equipment. No training was going on and the camp was fairly peaceful which at least made his job, no matter how boring, at least a little relaxing.

Before he knew it, evening arrived and he began to get ready to meet Michelle.

Rummaging through his footlocker, he found his good dress uniform and put it on, peering into the mirror to see if he looked alright.

All he could say was that he was glad Nix was somewhere else at the moment and that he had the quarters to himself. He had a feeling if the other man ever saw him fussing over his appearance for a date, he'd never hear the end of it.

Finally satisfied he was looking as good as he was going to be able, he picked his hat up off the bed and headed outside, walking the dusty path into town.

**Michelle**

She had arrived early and was sitting on the bench in front of the pub by a quarter to eight waiting for Dick to arrive.

The sun was starting to dip below the horizon when she heard a pleasant voice ask, "is this seat taken?"

Remembering her own words from the night before, she smiled up at him and shook her head no. She scooted over to make room for him as he sat down next to her.

"You look very nice tonight, Michelle. It's wonderful to see you again."

She blushed at his words, unused to hearing such things from a man; somehow knowing that Dick was sincere when he said them.

"Thank you. You look very nice yourself." 

He gave her a small smile in return.

Standing up, he held out his hand to her.

"Would you like to take a walk for a bit? I feel a little odd having everyone stare at us as they go inside."

"Yes, that's sounds just fine."

Reaching out, she grasped his hand with hers as he gently pulled her to her feet. Turning toward the sitting sun, they walked hand in hand toward the edge of town.

**Winters**

As much as he was enjoying being with Michelle, his nerves were driving him up the wall. He searched his mind frantically, casting about for anything that would make for good conversation.

As it turned out, Michelle ended up saving him from having to come up with anything.

"Dick, I want to ask you something and I hope it doesn't affect this….friendship we're developing."

"What is it?"

"Well, I have been working as a runner for the 101st, going between regimental and battalion HQ. Today I had to deliver a message to a Colonel and overheard him saying there was a shortage of translators."

He just nodded his head; what she was saying was true. They were incredibly short handed when it came to having people who spoke enough German to be of assistance.

"Dick, I speak German. And I volunteered to act as a translator. And he accepted my offer." Her words all came pouring out in a rush.

He furrowed his brow.

"What? I didn't realize they were going to be using women as translators; we're going to be in a combat theater, it's dangerous," he said.

"I know, I know, I was surprised he accepted my offer. However, he did say I wouldn't be on the front line but rather up at HQ, working with intelligence."

"Well….well….if this is what you want to do and are okay with it, I am sure you'll do a wonderful job. I have faith in you; I'd just hate to see you get hurt."

"I'll be careful; I have every intention of living and coming back home to those I love. I just thought I'd mention the situation to you because…well, because…."

Her voice gradually trailed off.

"Because of what?" he asked in a gentle voice.

"Dick, I like you. I really do. I don't know how to explain it but I feel drawn to you. I've never felt like this before." She looked so nervous standing there, waiting for his reaction.

He felt a smile spread across his features.

"Michelle, I want you to know….I feel exactly the same way."

**_Well, that's it for the first part. There's more to come shortly, so, if you'd like, let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!_**


	2. Chapter 2

**_Thank you all for the lovely feedback on part one. Here is part two!_**

**Part 2**

**Michelle**

The next morning, Michelle woke early to ensure she was on time for her meeting with Colonel Sink. She was so nervous as she dressed, fingers shaking as she did up the buttons on her blue dress. She wasn't usually this jittery, but then again, it wasn't every day she volunteered to work in a combat zone.

Quickly running a brush through her hair to get any snarls out, she put it up into a neat bun so that it would stay out of her eyes during the day.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, she saw she still had another forty minutes before she had to be at Battalion HQ. Wandering out to the front porch, she sat on the swing there and waited, pushing herself slowly back and forth with the toe of her shoe and allowing herself to think of the previous evening with Dick.

There was just something about him that was so wonderful yet hard to put into words. He was everything she could have ever wanted in a man; caring, considerate, polite, and honest, plus so much more. And he had the most beautiful eyes, but that was beside the point.

Shaking herself out of her reverie, she decided to go ahead and leave for town, figuring if she walked slowly enough, she wouldn't arrive too early.

Upon reaching Colonel Sink's office twenty minutes later, she knocked loudly and firmly, squaring her shoulders to try and appear more confident than she actually was.

"Come in," a voice called out.

She twisted the creaky old handle, pushing the door open and stepping inside.

"Yes, hello, Miss Adams. Thank you for being here today. Are you still interested in acting as a translator? If you want to back out, now's the time to do it and I won't think any less of you," Colonel Sink told her.

"No, Colonel, I am quite sure of my decision. As long as it is alright with you, I would like to accept the job."

"Well, then, lets get down to some specifics. The 506th will be moving out here fairly shortly into Holland. I am going to attach you to 2nd Battalion as part of the headquarters operations there. There are some excellent officers in that battalion and I am sure you will find it to your liking."

"I'm sure it will be fine, sir. When do I start?"

"We won't have any need of your services at the moment, but I would like to have you around the battalion and some of the companies a bit more before we move out. Not that I expect there will be any trouble, but I'd like to get the men used to the idea a woman will be accompanying us."

"That's fine, sir."

"I'd like to have you report to 2nd battalion HQ first thing Monday morning, 0800 hours. Do you know where it is located?"

"Yes, sir, I've taken messages there before."

"Very good. When you arrive, if I am not there, ask for Lieutenant Nixon, he'll get you situated."

"I'll do just that, sir."

"Glad to hear it. Thanks for coming in on such short notice."

"It was no problem, sir. I'll be here Monday morning first thing."

"Alright, then, I won't keep you here any longer. Carry on."

"Yes, sir."

She stood and quickly left his office, elated things had gone so well.

As she walked through the camp, she debated how best to tell her family of her intentions. She wasn't worried they'd try and stop her, but she was a bit nervous about what they would think of her for wanting to do this. Oh well, she guessed she'd just break it to them as quickly and painlessly as possible and hope for the best.

**Winters**

That afternoon, Winters was summoned to Colonel Sink's office. As he made his way to the HQ, he couldn't help wondering what the meeting was about. He hadn't seen the man for awhile now and he couldn't think of anything that had happened recently that would merit being called to see him.

He knocked on the door and stepped inside, saluting as his did so.

"Sir, you wanted to see me?"

"Have a seat, Dick. I want to talk to you about something."

"Sir?"

The Colonel let out a long sigh.

"Dick, I've got a bit of an unusual situation here. There is now going to be a woman in 2nd battalion. I've authorized her to work there as a translator. I realize it's somewhat unorthodox but I am under the impression she'll do a good job."

He quickly realized Colonel Sink was referring to Michelle.

"Yes, sir. I'm sure she'll be of great assistance."

"Now, Dick, I want you to ensure she is extended every courtesy available. After all, she doesn't have to be here. Make sure the men know what the situation is and that they are to treat her with respect. I don't want any problems. Understand?"

"Yes, sir, I'll see to it Easy knows the situation."

"Good. Carry on, then."

Rising to his feet, Winters saluted once more before leaving.

This was certainly an unusual twist of fate, he thought to himself.

When Michelle had mentioned she had spoken to a Colonel the other day, he never would have guessed it was Sink. Nor would he have guessed she'd be assigned to 2nd Battalion to work. Maybe the war wouldn't separate them completely after all.

Heading back to Easy's HQ, he put the word out to all platoon leaders regarding the situation with the battalion now having a woman working in it, and how he wanted the men to be on their best behavior around her-nothing inappropriate.

After that was done, he sat down and began to work on the stack of paperwork that had been piling up on his desk for the last week.

**Michelle**

After meeting with the Colonel, Michelle returned home and broke the news to her family. As expected, they were worried about her and her well-being, but ultimately wished her well, knowing she'd do a good job and make them proud.

She went upstairs, then, to begin putting her belongings in order. She realized she wouldn't be able to take much with her, but there were a few certain things she wanted to have, such as her journal, bible, and pens and paper so she could write home.

Glancing around her room, she let herself think over the last few years, of all the happy memories she had in this house. At the same time, she wanted to leave yet she didn't. She loved her family and this place dearly, but if she could make a difference in the war effort and do some good there, then that was where she needed to be.

She thought about Dick, and how well he had taken her announcement. She had hoped he'd understand and that it wouldn't interfere with their deepening relationship, but she had worried all the same.

Sighing, she began folding a few sweaters and other garments that would be going with her.

**Dick**

Monday morning came far too soon, even though he was eager to get back to training with the men. Sunlight poured in the small window of his quarters as he hurriedly dressed and headed to formation.

After outlining the days training schedule to the platoon leaders, he headed up to Battalion to submit a few reports that were overdue. Once inside Battalion's offices, he headed upstairs to deliver them to Sink's orderly who assured him the Colonel would get them that morning.

Heading back downstairs, he spotted two familiar figures standing by a desk-Nixon and Michelle. Nixon appeared to be explaining something to her, probably some aspect of paperwork, when Michelle happened to look up and catch his eyes. She looked surprised to see him there; which was when he remembered he'd never told her he was also assigned to 2nd Battalion. Oh well, they could talk later when they had the time.

With a small smile and a nod, he left them to their work and headed to where the men were located.

**Michelle**

Two weeks passed by with very little interesting ever occurring. By now, she had learned to ins and outs of paperwork for the Army and what would be expected of her as an interpreter.

She had been startled, to say the least, when she'd spotted Dick in the same office not that long ago. She never thought she'd be lucky enough to be assigned to the same Battalion as him, so the mere fact they'd be in the same rough area once they moved out warmed her heart.

And, speaking of Dick, their relationship had taken a turn for the more serious as of late. Under normal circumstances, she never would have let things progress so quickly, and, she believed Dick felt the same way. However, this was wartime and the usual rules didn't seem to apply at the moment.

They had spent every available evening in each other's company since first meeting and she could now say she was absolutely, positively in love with him. There wasn't a thing about him she didn't care for. She could see in his eyes he loved her just as much.

And, as she lay in bed that night, staring up at the white ceiling above her, she believed she may have found The One.

**Dick**

He couldn't remember ever being so nervous in his entire life. Almost a month had gone by since first meeting Michelle and he was deeply in love with her.

He'd just received word that morning 2nd Battalion would be moving out within the next few days which is why he had asked to see Michelle as soon as possible.

Waiting on a stone bench in a small park, he tapped his boot nervously on the ground. He was aware of everything around him; the way the roses bobbed gently in the breeze, the way laughter drifted from open windows and the pub, the way people strolled leisurely down the street, and the way the small hard box felt in his uniform pocket.

Glancing at his watch for the fifth time in as many minutes, he continued to stare down the road, as if he could will her to appear through sheer concentration.

He heard footsteps in the grass next to him and looked up. Michelle smiled down at him.

"I came in through the side gate, if that was what you were wondering," she told him.

A small smile was his only answer, too jittery to force out any words.

Sitting down next to him, she reached over and took his hand in hers.

"Lovely evening, don't you think?"

"Yes, it certainly is."

She seemed to notice how nervous he looked and tilted her head to the side.

"Dick? Is everything alright?"

"Yes, yes, everything's fine. I'm sorry if I seem distracted, but it's just…well it's….I just wanted to…." He trailed off softly, realizing he was babbling and had no idea what to say next.

"Come on, Dick. You know you can say whatever around me. Don't be nervous."

Turning sideways on the bench, he took both her hands in his.

"Michelle, I want you to know I think you are the most wonderful, amazing, intelligent, beautiful young woman I have ever had the good fortune to meet. Being with you this last month has been more than I could have ever hoped for. I know this probably isn't coming out as well as it could, but what I am trying to say is I love you, Michelle. I love you with all my heart and could never imagine being without you."

Sliding off the bench, he knelt before her.

"I know I don't have much to offer you at the moment, but I promise you after the war things will be better. Michelle, would you marry me?"

He slowly looked up into her eyes, afraid he'd find rejection or worse there.

However, before he could get another word out, Michelle had thrown both arms around his neck and was whispering 'yes' into his ear.

Pulling back slightly, he peered into her face.

"Are you sure? You're certain?"

She smiled wider than he had ever seen before, nodding her head at the same time.

Slowly, he moved his head forward, leaning in slightly to press his lips against hers.

She responded in kind, over and over again.

And with each kiss, a little more of the war fell away.

He felt alive again, and it was wonderful.


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

**Michelle**

The evening gradually drifted by and she found herself leaning against Dick with his arm wrapped around her shoulders. She was engaged. The words seemed so foreign to her. It was hard for her to comprehend how she had reached this point; after all, just a few short months ago, she had never even met Dick, and here she was now, engaged to be married. The thought brought a smile to her face.

She glanced up at him, nudging his side lightly with her elbow.

"So, when do you want to get married?" she asked.

He hesitated for a moment before answering.

"I'd be game to do it any time, but I thought I'd leave the date up to you. I don't even know what all goes into a wedding, do you?"

She laughed.

"Dick, you're making this more difficult than it needs to be. I don't need a big wedding at all. I'd be happy with a little service wherever, maybe with some friends and family present."

"That's fine with me."

"And, Dick, would you mind terribly if we waited until after the war here was over? I love you and would willingly marry you this moment, but I want to marry you knowing we have the rest of our lives to spend together and without the war hanging over our heads."

"I couldn't agree more. I think a post war wedding would be fitting. Well, I it's getting late. I'd better walk you home before your family wonders what I've done with you." 

"I know my parents-and my sister, for that matter- will be thrilled I'm getting married. They've been after me for years to develop a social life so I could find a husband. Now, lucky for me, I have you."

He chuckled lightly as they left the park hand in hand.

**Winters**

As he was packing his belongings that evening, Nixon stopped by for a visit.

"Jesus, I think every time I see you lately you look even happier than before. What happened to the old Dick I knew?"

"Well, Nix, it just so happens I am happy."

"I'm going to take a stab here and guess it has something to do with Michelle, but feel free to share, by all means."

"I asked her to marry me and she said yes," he blurted out.

Nixon's eyes went wide and he began choking on the Vat69 in his mouth.

"Are you serious?" he managed to gasp out.

"Yes, yes I am."

"Well, goddamn, Dick, congratulations. When's the wedding?"

"We decided to wait until after the war, so not for a while."

"Good for you Dick. I'm happy for you, really, I am." He laughed.

"Wait until news of this gets around the Company. None of them will believe that you- the same guy who can barely even talk about going on a date without turning the same shade as his hair-is the same guy who is engaged to the girl he's known just a little over a month."

"Thank you for that thought, Nix."

"Well, I think I'll leave you to your packing. Just thought I'd stop in to see what was up, and boy, am I glad I did," Nix smiled.

"Goodnight, Nix."

Nixon left the room with a wave of his hand, closing the door behind him.

**Michelle**

Her family was elated at the news of her engagement. Her mother had tears in her eyes as she described how Michelle would wear her grandmother's wedding gown and how they'd throw her a lovely wedding. She could see her father was pleased, also, but he was a bit more restrained than her mother.

Looking at the small but elegant ring on her finger, she looked forward to the day when the war would be over and she could return home with Dick and love in peace. Oh well, no use in dwelling over what hadn't happened yet. As things were, they were moving out in two days and which would force them all to focus on more important matters, not just weddings and love.

She had finished packing her belongings and her trunk sat at the foot of her bed, all locked up and ready to go at a moments notice. She didn't want to leave her family but was eager to go and get it over with at the same time.

She just hoped she'd do alright.

**Winters**

Sure enough, the next morning word of his engagement had spread throughout Easy. All morning long he was greeted with comments ranging from Lipton's "I'm happy for you, sir," to Guarnere's "Jesus, sir, it's about damn time. Wasn't sure for awhile there if you even knew what a woman was." It had been a long couple of hours.

Most of the early afternoon was spent checking and rechecking equipment, disassembling weapons systems for the jump, and issuing out supplies to all who needed them.

He wasn't nearly as nervous about making this jump as he was on D-Day. For one thing, it would be a daytime jump and, if intelligence was correct, they would be jumping into a part of Holland that was only lightly occupied. If all went well, they could expect to secure the area fairly easily and maintain control with minimal effort.

He had been loading an equipment bag into a C-47 when a runner came to him and gave him the message Colonel Sink wanted to see him as soon as possible. Dusting his hands off on his pants, he headed up the hill to Headquarters. He had a sinking feeling the Colonel would be asking about his engagement to the same woman who would be accompanying them into enemy territory. He hoped Sink wouldn't transfer either Michelle or himself because of it.

He was ushered into the Colonel's office where he was greeted with a smile and a laugh.

"So, Dick, tell me. Are the rumors I've been hearing all morning true or not?" 

"What rumors would those be, sir?" he said cautiously.

"That you finally found yourself a nice girl and are going to marry her."

"Yes, sir, that would be correct."

"Dick, I'm glad for you. I really am. I hope you two are happy."

"Thank you, sir. That means a lot."

"Carry on, then. That's all I needed to know."

"Yes, sir."

He was relieved. He'd made it out of there without Sink finding out who he was engaged to and without him asking too many questions. Then, turning back to the task at hand, he began making a list in his head of all equipment needing minor repairs in the next few hours.

**Michelle**

She woke up the morning they were to move out with butterflies in her stomach and sweaty palms. This was it. She was really leaving.

It was still dark out; the sun wouldn't rise for at least another hour or so.

Tuning on a small lamp sitting on her nightstand, she proceeded to dress quickly. Then, putting her shoes on and pulling her hair back, she sat down at her desk and wrote a letter to her family, telling them goodbye along with all the things she wanted them to know, just in case she never got another chance to do so. She couldn't bring herself to wake them, it would be too hard to go then.

Finishing just as the sky was beginning to lighten at the horizon, she stuck the letter in an envelope and sat it on a table in the hall downstairs. Dragging her trunk outside with her, she sat down on the swing and ate a cold biscuit, waiting for a jeep from 2nd Battalion to pick her up and whisk her away from her home and the smell of roses in the early morning air.

**Winters**

Dick, too, had risen early that morning. Unable to sleep, he dressed in his fatigues grabbed his rife, and made his rounds throughout the camp, thinking about the upcoming jump and what they would find in Holland.

His men would do alright, he knew they would. They were excellent at what they did, able and willing to handle whatever might come their way.

It was a beautiful morning, the air cool and clear with just a slight hint of warmth on the edges of the breeze. He worked his way toward the runway where the C-47's sat fully loaded and ready to go. He climbed into the open door in one of them and sat there, watching as the sun rose, spilling pale pink light over the fields while he prayed the day would turn out okay.

**Michelle**

She reached Headquarters that morning and was informed of what would soon take place. Unlike the soldiers and combat personnel in the regiment who would actually be jumping into Holland, she along with some others would fly part of the distance and then make the rest of the trek by ground. Since their point of operations was going to be outside of the engagement area, there was no need to risk setting up close to the front lines where the action would be.

After being briefed, she was released from HQ and told not to wander far. Choosing to sit on the low wall that ran around the building, she watched the soldiers prepare for combat, hoping all the while to catch a glimpse of Dick.

Sighing to herself, she hoped fervently he'd be okay. It was bad enough not knowing when she'd see him again but if something were to happen to him, it would be almost unbearable.

So she sat there, unconsciously twisting her engagement ring around and around her finger, praying for the safety of those who, in just a few short hours, would jump into occupied enemy territory, not knowing what was waiting for them.

**Winters**

He had been running around all morning, taking care of last minute details and making sure everything was ready to go. Now, he was sitting in a plane with 11 other men as it rumbled down the runway and slowly lugged itself into the air.

As he sat there, he thought about Michelle, and how he wished he could have told her goodbye one last time. He hoped she'd be alright.

Outside, clouds rushed by and sunlight streamed through the small windows lining both sides of the aircraft. Then, after what seemed like forever and yet not long enough, he say the red light next to the door come to life.

Weighed down by his gear, he struggled slowly to his feet.

"Stand up!" he shouted out, watching his stick lurch up from their seats.

"Hook up!" the sound of 12 static lines being connected filled the air.

"Equipment check!" hurriedly, packs and lines were inspected and okayed.

Satisfied they were ready to go, he turned back towards the light and the door. The ground drifted by hundreds of feet below them, green rolling fields and small villages dotting the landscape.

The green light interrupted his thoughts.

"Go, go, go!"

He leapt out the door.


	4. Chapter 4

**Part 4**

**Michelle**

Her group had moved out about an hour after the planes had left the airfield. They traveled quickly over the country roads in Jeeps and large olive drab trucks with canvas covered backs hauling all their gear.

It wasn't until nightfall that they reached the spot where the temporary HQ was to be set up. Working fast, everyone pitched in and before long several heavy tents were set up and the radios were alive with chatter.

She was stuck in Colonel Sink's tent, reviewing intelligence that seemingly supported the belief there was little resistance in the area. After about a half hour of this, a young Lieutenant burst through the flap of the tent.

"Sir, we have a problem."

"What is it?" the Colonel asked.

"Sir, Eindhoven is being bombed; much of the city has been damaged already or is on fire."

Sink looked up sharply.

"Was their any preliminary indication of organized enemy movement in the area?"

"No, sir. Best we can tell is a regular German unit must have been encamped in the general vicinity, waiting to take the town. I'm not sure anyone could have seen this coming. Last reports regiment received were still showing light resistance from the Krauts in the area." 

"Thank you, Lieutenant, that'll be all."

The young man saluted sharply and ducked back out of the tent.

"Goddamn it," Sink muttered. "Don't bother organizing the rest of that," he told her. "Looks like it's too late to do any good anyways."

She sat the stack of paper aside and left the tent. Heading over to a small hill, she made her way to the top. Off in the distance, an orange glow could be seen just off the horizon. Eindhoven.

After awhile, she couldn't bring herself to watch anymore so she made her way back to the encampment. Digging through her gear, she found her bedroll and, pulling it out, spread it on the ground. All around her, others were doing the same. Taking her shoes off, she lay down on the mat and stared up at the stars. As she lay there, she found herself unable to sleep, too wound up by the days events to relax completely. Breathing in deeply, she closed her eyes and prayed harder than she had in a long time that the soldiers who had jumped into Eindhoven today were okay, that her family was okay, and that she'd be able to see Dick again.

**Winters**

When they'd first entered Eindhoven, they had encountered no resistance whatsoever and were welcomed with open arms by the citizens living there. After doing a quick reconnaissance of the area, he met with some of the locals to see what they knew.

After securing the area minimally, they moved out once again just outside the town where Kraut resistance was suspected to be.

Slowly, they made their way down the hot dusty road, some on foot and some riding on the tanks, constantly scanning the surrounding landscape for anything suspicious.

Suddenly, a shot rang out through the air and a Lieutenant who had been walking by himself up front dropped to the ground. Men slid off the armored vehicles and dove into nearby ditches, weapons at the ready.

Off in the distance, he could see German light armored vehicles moving into place to attack and knew he had to get his men moving. Spreading the company out along both side of the road, he set up interlocking fields of fire with several of the machine guns at the edges of the ditches.

The Germans began advancing and he gave the order to begin firing. All around him, the sound of M-1's filled the air.

It wasn't long before it became evident they'd have to pull back from the area, regroup, and formulate another way to get through. The men began falling back and he stopped by the wheel of a vehicle to receive a status report from Sergeant Lipton, who informed of several KIA's and MIA's. He didn't want to fall back and leave them, but for the sake of the company he had no choice.

Jumped into trucks, the men squeezed into any available space, eager to get out of the Kraut trap they had wandered into.

As soon as he was sure there were no more men coming to the road, he jumped on the back of the nearest truck one as it began lurching down the road.

Tilting his helmet back, he looked at where they had just been. Dust filled the air, along with the strong, sharp smell of gunpowder and blood. He thought of the men he had been forced to leave behind and felt his chest tighten. He squeezed his eyes shut and willed the thoughts from his mind. He sat there, trying not to think while at the same time wondering what he could have done differently.

Late that night, Easy Company had dug in along a ridgeline several miles outside of Eindhoven. They were safe for the moment but it was a horrific sight to see the terror the Germans were raining down on the town. He stood at the top of a hill, leaning against a Jeep, hearing explosions in the distance and seeing the town burn.

He sensed, rather than heard, someone come up behind him. Turning a bit, he saw it was Nixon.

"They're bombing Eindhoven," he said, feeling rather dumb for stating the obvious the moment the words were out of his mouth.

"No one knows where the German Regulars came from," Nix said to him. "There had been no indication this part of the region was strongly held at all. If we'd known, maybe then…." Nixon trailed off, leaving the rest of his sentence unfinished. He didn't need to finish.

Sighing, he turned from watching the destruction of Eindhoven and made his way toward the other man.

"Come on, Nix, might as well dig in for the night."

And as the two made their way down the hill, he said a little prayer that those who had been killed were in a better place, that those who were still missing would return, and that Michelle had made it to wherever she was safe and sound.


	5. Chapter 5

**Two Hearts, One Soul 5**

**Michelle**

The next morning, she woke up as the sun was beginning to peek over the surrounding hills. Yawning and stretching, she climbed out of her bedroll and rolled it up; storing it with the rest of her gear for the day.

Breakfast was D-Rations eaten quickly and then it was down to business.

Moving to Colonel Sink's tent, she took up her same position as yesterday, sifting through stacks of paper, putting them in some semblance of order, and waiting until her skills were actually needed. As it was turning out, she was acting more like a secretary than a translator but she had been assured that would change as soon as they moved into an area where enemy forces were more concentrated. However, for the moment, a secretary was what she was.

The small camp was bustling with activity; soldiers and officers were everywhere trying to determine the next best move for the Battalion. Word came in later that day that 2nd Battalion had retreated from Eindhoven, falling back to the south by several miles. They were now dug in outside a small, unidentified town in Holland. It was becoming difficult to determine which course of action to take; as no one had foreseen the American forces falling back, no contingency plan had been drawn up. As it was, 2nd Battalion was pinned down in an area roughly 1 square mile in size with no known intelligence of the area on hand. It wasn't the best situation in the world.

From what she had overheard and inferred on her own, it seemed it was likely there was a German unit in the area, they just didn't know where. Sink was reluctant to order a move by 2nd Battalion lest they give away their precarious position and lose what little ground they held. It seemed as if the Germans, also, were more than content to wait; allowing the other side to make the first move.

Sink was suddenly called away to another tent and with him went his staff officers and her sources of information. Left by herself in the hot, muggy stillness of the tent, she went back to shuffling papers around.

**Winters**

After they had dug in last night, word had come back to his CP that a patrol from 1st Platoon had made contact with the Germans resulting in several casualties.

Quickly, he gathered a squad and moved out to the area where the patrol had been hit. Using the cover of darkness to aid them, he and his men slipped undetected along the side of a road using the ditch that ran along side it as cover.

Once the squad was in place, he ordered them to remain there while he went on a recon to see what lay on the other side of the road.

He crawled quickly through the short, dry grass, weapon clutched to his chest, hoping the rustling sound he was making wouldn't give his presence away.

Making it to the top of the small hill, he flattened himself against the ground even further and waited to see what he could see.

Before long, he was able to make out shapes moving through the darkness about 200 yards from his position. He wasn't sure, but it looked like there was at least a company or more of Krauts out there. Sliding back down the hill the way he came, he returned to his squad, calling Lipton and a Lieutenant over to him.

"There's at least a company of them on the other side of this road. Now we don't have much time; the sun's going to be up here shortly. Lieutenant, Sergeant, I want you to take the men and move them into position along side this road. Have them ready to move at first light. I would attack now but there's not enough time to get everything into place. All we're going to be able to do is use the cover of darkness to move into position and then hit them at dawn when they may not expect it. Understood?"

Both men nodded their heads.

"Good."

The two headed off, moving down the line and spreading the information.

Grabbing the radioman next to him, who happened to be Luz, he called up to HQ, informing them of the situation. They had no intelligence of enemy activity in the area, so he was pretty much on his own. Artillery support was put on standby, though, if they needed it.

He got off the radio not feeling much better about the situation though he knew he had no choice but attack. He just didn't like going into combat feeling like hew wasn't seeing the whole picture.

"Follow me," he whispered to Luz, and together they moved down the line to catch up with the rest of the squad.

**Michelle**

Colonel Sink returned before long, looking irritated and somewhat flustered. Turning to her he began to speak.

"I'm sure you're wondering what all this commotion is about. Well, it seems Easy Company called up to Headquarters sometime early this morning, saying they had verified enemy contact in the area and were preparing to attack at dawn. However, this information was never passed along to us and so we now have no idea what the situation is."

He paused for a moment.

"We're going to be moving out this evening. Make sure your gear is ready to go. We're going to catch up to 2nd Battalion and go from there."

"Yes, sir," she replied, excited and nervous once again to be moving out so quickly.

**Winters**

Never did the wait for dawn ever seem so long. Gradually, the sky lightened little by little and when visibility was good and he could hear the Germans moving about a bit, he told the men to wait for his signal and then follow him.

Jumping to his feet, he began running to the top of the ditch. Upon reaching the top, he dropped a red smoke grenade which would act as his signal.

Never once looking back, he took off at a sprint across the road, covering the large expanse of open ground before he even realized it. Reaching another small rise in the earth, and knowing the Germans were just a few yards from him, he lowered his rifle to his hip and darted up the hill. He stopped abruptly, coming face to face with a young German soldier. They looked at each other for a long moment, neither of them making a move. He saw the soldier jerk back with a surprised look on his face as he realized he had pulled the trigger twice without thinking about it.

Knowing he had just given up any element of surprise he might have had, he swung to his right and began firing rapidly into the mass of Germans below him. He heard the metallic sound of a clip ejecting and he shoved another in with out looking.

As he continued to fire, he wondered where the hell the rest of the men were. He couldn't have gotten that far ahead of them, could he?

Just then, he heard the sound of dozens of feet pounding against the ground and he was soon joined by his men.

They all commenced firing upon the Krauts as they tried to flee, but failed. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught on of his machine gun teams setting up on the right flank and beginning to fire, dozens of Krauts dropping as they fired into the crowd.

As the German mass began to thin out, he was stunned to see yet even more enemy soldiers spill over a hill to his right. Having no choice but to stay there and fight, he and his men hunkered down along the slight ridgeline and kept up a strong base of fire, which, ultimately, proved to be effective.

When all was said and done, the best estimate was they had killed at least an entire company of SS soldiers, wounded dozens more, and taken at least 40 prisoners with only minor casualties on their side.

He walked among his men who were sitting in the shade of the ditches, talking quietly, reliving the battle they had just been a part of, wanting to make sure they were alright for the most part.

Satisfied that all was as well as it was going to be for the time being, he made his way up to where Nixon was talking to Sink. He had been surprised to see the Colonel there at first, but figured he must have wanted to see what was going on firsthand.

Upon seeing him approach, he nodded his head at Nixon and turned to him.

"Dick, a word?"

He let himself be pulled off to the side of the road by the Colonel.

"Dick, I was just telling Captain Nixon that we lost Major Horton today. Apparently the Krauts came up on 3rd Battalion from the rear and hit them before they even realized it. He was killed trying to organize a defense."

He let the words sink in. It was hard to believe Horton was dead. Even though he hadn't known the man that well he had been an excellent officer and his death was a blow to the regiment.

"Now, Dick, I've seen the way you handle the men in the field. You're an outstanding tactician and steady in combat, which is why I'm moving you on up to 2nd Battalion XO. We need someone like you working up there."

He was sure his face reflected the shock he felt at hearing the Colonel's words. Battalion XO?

"Sir, who will be taking over Easy Company?"

"Lieutenant Heyliger. Now you go on and get you gear and come on up to Battalion."

"Yes, sir."

He felt horrible leaving the men, but at the same time hoped he could do some good up at Battalion that may make a difference for those out on the line.

**Michelle**

That evening, Michelle was sitting on her bedroll, swatting at mosquitoes, and trying to find something to write home about. A little ways down the road the companies were setting up for the night and organizing patrols to go scout out the surrounding area.

Frustrated at her inability to write anything meaningful, she leaned back against her pack and idly watched as one by one, the company's tents went up.

Occasionally, as officer would make his way up the road to speak with Headquarters, but they never stayed long and each one seemed to carry with them an air of exhaustion.

She was staring off into space, not really focusing on anything, when a voice came from behind her.

"Hey, there," came the gentle, familiar words she had missed hearing so much. Turning around, she saw Dick standing there, covered in dirt and grime and looking like he could fall asleep any moment, yet still managing a small smile for her.

"Dick!" she exclaimed softly, moving towards him to wrap her arms around his waist. "What are you doing here?"

"I've been transferred up to 2nd Battalion XO. Guess we'll be seeing more of each other now, huh?" he responded, pulling her close.

"I'm glad to see you made it. I was worried about you." As soon as the words were out, she realized what an understatement they were.

"And I'm glad to see you, too. I can't stay here long, I have to get back but I wanted to see how you were doing."

"Oh, don't worry about me, I'll be fine. All they've got me doing right now is secretarial work; guess translating will come later."

"You take care of yourself, now, okay," he said, looking deep into her eyes.

"You, too," she said, feeling her heart clench as he began to pull away.

Suddenly, he tightened his grip on her and lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her deeper than she could have ever imagined.

"I love you," he told her, eyes shining in the darkness.

"I love you too. Now get going before you're missed."

With one last peck on the cheek and a smile, she watched he turned and headed back into the shadows, disappearing into darkness.

**Winters**

He was glad he'd had the opportunity to see Michelle; he'd been worried about her ever since they'd moved out from Aldbourne. After seeing for himself she really was alright, he felt his fears begin to ease off a little.

He headed down the road to where Easy Company was set up, hoping to catch Lieutenant Heyliger with a few minutes to spare.

It didn't take him long to spot Easy's new CO; he was standing with Buck next to the CP. When Heyliger saw him, he said something to Buck and headed towards him.

"Dick, I'm glad to see you. Look, if you don't mind, I've got a few questions I'd like to ask you."

"Sure, Moose, that won't be a problem," he replied.

"I'm about to check on one of the OP's set up by the patrols; mind if we talk on the way?"

"That'd be fine," he told the other man. Setting off down the darkened lane, they made their way to the edge of the operating area.

Moose was just asking him how to ensure things would continue to run smoothly in the company when a voice rang out through the darkness.

"Halt! Who goes there?"

He felt Moose tense beside him, hesitating before calling out the password.

Unfortunately, he hesitated too long. Two shots came out of the inky blackness and Moose dropped to the ground.

"Hold your fire!" he shouted out, dropping down to aid his friend. Even to his untrained eye, he could see the wounds didn't look good.

"Medic!" he yelled. "Medic!"

After a minute, Doc Roe came running out of the darkness and knelt down next to the wounded man. As Doc began working on Heyliger, he got on the radio and requested a Jeep to evacuate Moose to the aid station.

Doc did what he could, which admittedly wasn't much considering the circumstances, and had him ready to go as soon as the vehicle pulled up. Working together, they lifted Moose up onto the stretcher, Roe getting in to ride to the aid station with him.

As he watched them leave, his heart sank. What a terrible, senseless accident. There was nothing he could have done, yet he felt powerless.


	6. Chapter 6

**Two Hearts, One Soul 6**

**Michelle**

She watched Dick head down the road to where the companies were set up for the night with a heavy heart. It had been wonderful seeing him but it made it just that much harder to watch him leave once again.

She shifted restlessly on her bedroll, trying unsuccessfully to get comfortable and feeling every little rock and twig underneath her back and legs. As tired as she was, she was surprised she wasn't falling asleep almost instantly, but that definitely wasn't happening. After a few minutes of tossing and turning and failing to get any more comfortable, she rolled off the mat, lifted it up, and felt her way around underneath it, sweeping out all the debris with her hands in the darkness.

Satisfied she had removed the worst of it, she lay back down with a contented sigh. Staring up at the night sky blanketed with thousands upon thousands of stars and feeling the warm breeze dance across her face, she felt herself starting to float off into a peaceful slumber.

Just as sleep's hand reached out to take her, she heard a two shots fill the air. She bolted upright and sat there not moving, just listening to see what would happen next.

She could hear someone calling out for a medic and she thought the voice sounded a lot like Dick's. However, she was frozen in place; she couldn't force herself to get up and investigate. Part of her was afraid she'd get in the way of whatever was going on and the other part of her was afraid of what she'd find if she did go looking.

So she remained sitting there, listening as the sounds of the night closed in on her, hoping that when she woke up everything would be alright.

**Winters**

A few weeks later, Winters found himself up to his neck in paperwork for the Battalion. When he had first been promoted to XO, he'd never dreamed it would entail this much desk work. How he wished he was back in the field with the men! Stuck inside, in an office, he felt like he wasn't contributing much to either the Battalion or the men.

He crumpled his third piece of paper in a row and was putting a fourth in the typewriter when a knock sounded on his door.

"Enter," he called out.

Nixon appeared in the room moments later, flask in hand and looking like he'd already had a few today. Sighing, he made his way over to his footlocker and opened it up for his friend, who just stood there smiling at him.

He left Nix to rummage for his Vat 69 while he returned to writing the combat report Sink wanted the day before yesterday. Staring at the blank paper in front of him, he groaned inwardly. He was no good at this. Sure, he knew what to do out in the field but when it came to putting it into words for others to examine, he was next to useless.

"So, Dick, you having fun yet?" Nixon asked him, coming to sit at a nearby table with a fresh bottle of booze and his flask.

He felt the inexplicable urge to snap at Nix, an urge which must have been written all over his face because Nixon backed down rather quickly.

"Take it easy there, Dick, I was only joking. I know you, you're not happy unless you're getting shot at so I can imagine this must seem like a death sentence for you," he smirked as he began pouring from the bottle into the flask he held.

"It's just so….so….frustrating. I know I'm not as useful in here as I am out with the men and that there are plenty of other officers out there that would be much better suited to be XO than me."

"Dick, relax, you're here, you don't have any choice about it, and you're doing a fine job. The men will be alright, they know what to do. However, you might want to keep an eye on Easy's new CO. I'm sure you two have met?"

"Yes, I've met him. Let's just say I wasn't impressed."

Nixon snorted.

"Men are already calling him Foxhole Norman, he's never with the company in the field. I'm not so sure he'll work out real well here."

"Believe me, Nix, I'd love to have someone else running Easy, someone who actually cares. However, we have Dike so we might as well hope for the best. Maybe things will improve once he's in the company a bit longer."

"Yeah, Dick, you keep telling yourself that," Nixon replied with a smirk and a drink.

"Anyways," he continued, screwing the cap back onto the bottle. "We've got a couple of months to train the men, the NCO's should be able to hold things together for the time being."

"The NCO's are the only thing that's holding Easy together and it's been that way for too long already."

"Oh, and by the way Dick, most of the Battalion is on leave either this week or the next. Now I'm heading back to Aldbourne to look up a certain….acquaintance of mine; Strayer is in London, and the rest of the officers are heading all over the place. Now, before he left, Strayer told me to give you this." Nix glanced up at him, tossing a piece of paper on the desk as he did.

"What's this?" he asked.

"That is a 48-hour pass. You, my friend, are going to Paris."

"Nix, I can't leave, I don't even want to."

"Are you crazy? Why the hell wouldn't you want to take a break for even a day or two?"

He gives Nixon another pointed look, bopping it conveys what he's thinking. It must work because slowly understanding dawns on his friend's face.

"You know, Dick, if you would take a minute and actually read that paper, you'd see that it's a pass for TWO people. Surely you can manage to come up with someone to take with you, unless, of course, I'm mistaken."

"I'm touched by your concern, but I'm confident I can find just the person," he replies, tucking the paper into his pocket.

"I just have to make sure she wants to go."

**Michelle**

She had been working on some little bits of translation over the course of the day, but her workload was fairly light due to the lack of personnel present, most of which were off somewhere on leave.

She was hunting for another pencil when she heard a soft rap on the doorframe. Looking up, she saw Dick standing there.

"Dick! It's good to see you again. It's been awhile," she said.

It had been awhile, too. The last few weeks had left little time for socializing and these last few days had been a welcome break for the overworked members of 2nd Battalion.

"Good to see you, too," he responded in kind. "How have you been holding up?"

"Oh, I've been good, just paperwork and the occasional intelligence translation. Other than that, I'm still essentially just a secretary. But what about you? Where have you been hiding?" 

She heard him sigh.

"If I see another piece of paper, I think I might scream," he said with a slightly smiling face.

"Paperwork not your thing?"

"I guess you could say that."

"So what brings you over here this time of day? I didn't expect to see you here at all, much less before the evening."

A smile spread across his features.

"Have you ever been to Paris?"

"Paris? No, why?"

"I have a 48-hour pass from Strayer for the both of us. I see Sink's hand in this somewhere, but I figure we might as well take him up on the offer, that is, if you want to go. Who knows when we'll get another chance at leave?"

"Dick, I'd love to go. I've never been, but I'm sure it's wonderful. Even in wartime. When can we leave?"

"Tomorrow, at the earliest."

"That'll be fine. I'm looking forward to it. It's been so long since I've looked forward to anything that I've almost forgotten what it feels like."

"Good, then, that settles it. I'll talk to you this evening. I've got to get back over to Battalion, though. Have to see Dike about something he's having trouble with."

"Alright, I'll see you later. Take care."

"You, too."

And with that, she was once again alone in the office, left to continue her hunt for a pencil but this time with a smile on her face.

**Winters**

They had arrived in Paris that afternoon and didn't have to leave until the next. As soon as they stepped off the train, they were swept into a sea of people in streets more crowded that he had ever seen before. Michelle stood close to him, clutching his hand tightly lest they get separated in the mob.

They walked through town for a bit, doing what sightseeing they could without knowing the area before stopping at a tiny café which was filled to overflowing with American servicemen and their sweethearts, all on leave for the weekend.

Sitting at a table out on the plaza, they were content to sip coffee and eat fresh croissants while watching the crowd go by.

"Never pictured Paris as being so crowded," he said, speaking loudly in order to be heard over the crowd.

"I'm not sure what I pictured Paris as being like, to tell you the truth," Michelle replied.

It was indescribably pleasant to just be able to sit back and take a moment to watch the world go by without the fear of death hanging overhead. It made him feel more alive that he had in recent months.

They sat and chatted for hours about nothing in particular, just little things that meant the world to both of them. Before they even realized it, dusk had begun to settle on the city and lights began coming to life in surrounding shops.

"I guess we should find a place to stay for the evening," he said.

Nodding her head in agreement, he offered her his arm as she went to stand. Together, they made their way down the wide cobblestone street leading to the center of the city where hotels could be found.

Finding one that seemed to be both pleasant and fairly quiet, they walked through the front garden to the door.

Upon reaching the front desk, a ledger was slid across the counter for them to sign in. A moment of awkwardness hit him as he realized they hadn't discussed sharing a room or not. Under normal circumstances, he would have gotten separate rooms, but after all, they were engaged, they were in Paris, and it was much more economical to reserve only one room which would leave more funds for other things.

He glanced over at her, and, seemingly understanding his unspoken question nodded her head.

Minutes later, key in hand, they made their way up to the fourth floor of the building and into their room. Turning on the nearest lamp, the room was quickly illuminated in soft yellow light with shadows smudging the corners. He deposited their luggage by the entryway and made his way to the balcony on the other side of the room. Pulling the curtains apart and opening the doors, he stepped into the cool night air.

Before long, he felt Michelle come up beside him. Without a word, he slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. It didn't take long for her to reach around his waist and settle against his chest.

And there they stood, for what seemed like forever, holding on to each other and looking out on the lights of Paris.

**Michelle**

The first thing she becomes aware of in the morning is that she's in a big, soft bed and not a hard, narrow cot. The second thing she realizes in that she is wrapped up in a pair of strong, warm arms with someone breathing lightly on her shoulder-Dick.

Her mind drifts back to the night before; how they stood for such a long time just gazing out at the city and then, when it grew too cold, how they came back inside and talked until late into the night, eventually falling asleep in each other's arms. Contrary to what most people might suspect, that was all that had happened-sleep. It was the best sleep she'd had in months. She hated the fact that in a few short hours they'd be returning to camp to resume their daily duties. All she knew was she never wanted to move from this bed.

Dick must have sensed she was awake because she soon felt him begin to stir against her back.

"Good morning," he whispered in her ear, giving her cheek a kiss.

"Good morning to you, too," she replied, twisting so she could face him.

He still looked half-asleep which was quite a change; she usually saw him when he was alert and fully aware. Right now, it looked as if he could nod off again at any moment.

"Sleep well?" he asked.

"I think this may have been the best sleep I've had in my entire life. I don't believe I stirred once."

"I'd have to agree with you on that."

"I wish we didn't have to leave so soon; this is a lovely city. And, I get to spend time with you here, unlike back at Headquarters."

"I wish we could stay, too. Maybe the war will be over be Christmas and we can all go home."

"Now there's a thought. Wouldn't that be lovely," she replied. Home seemed like another lifetime to her, a whole world away from where she was now.

He continued.

"I know I'm not all that good at expressing my feelings, but I'm going to try. So bear with me," he said with a nervous smile.

She nodded encouragingly at him.

"I don't care where I end up after the war is over as long as I'm with you. You mean the world to me. I don't know what I'd do without you," he spoke with such sincerity it nearly brought tears to her eyes.

"You mean so much to me also. I worry so much when you go into combat and I don't have the vaguest idea of what is going on. If something were to happen to you, I can't even imagine what I'd do."

He reached over to gently stroke the side of her face.

"I love you," he whispered, leaning into kiss her.

"And I love you," she replied, meeting him halfway.

Their lips met and moved slowly, gently, over one another, taking their time and enveloping them both in a warm haze. Slowly, they drew apart only to meet again and again, before one of them, it was hard to tell who, pulled back. Moving closer, Dick held her even tighter than before, as if he was afraid to let her go. She'd never felt so loved in her life.

She hated for all this to come to an end.

**Winters**

He spent the first week after his return from Paris in a haze. A productive haze, but a haze to be sure. Though he would have a hard time admitting it to Nix, the break was just what he'd needed to get back on track. Those few wonderful hours with Michelle made him all the more determined to fight and win so they could return home and live in peace.

All week long, officers and enlisted personnel had been trickling back into Battalion HQ, back from individual leave. Some men were also just back from the hospital and he was glad to have them back with the unit.

He was sitting and watching some John Wayne movie with the men one night, not really paying attention to the plot and trying to get Buck to open up to him when the lights came on and the show ended abruptly.

Two enlisted men marched to the front of the room, declaring all soldiers report to their respective HQ's to get ready to move out; the 101st was moving into the area around Bastogne, where German forces had already broken through the 4th Infantry's lines.

Heading back to his office, he rounded up his CO, Platoon Leaders, and Platoon Sergeants and told them to scrounge whatever supplies they could manage and to get the men ready to go as quickly as possible.

Having sent them on their way, he studied a large map lying across his desk. He located Bastogne after a moment or two, and noticed the large number of roads leading in and out of the town. It would be a nightmare to hold and defend, but if they could do it, it would be a key piece of ground to have gained.

Grabbing his helmet and M-1, he headed out the door.


	7. Chapter 7

**Two Heats, One Soul Part 8**

**Michelle**

She hardly slept at all that night. Instead, she lay awake for hours, thinking about the men, how they had moved out so fast without any supplies, about Dick and how he was doing, when she'd get to see him again, and how her family was holding up, and whether or not they had been touched by the war at this point.

Rolling over onto her side, she pulled the blankets up around her neck and stared out the window at the gently falling snow. It was beautiful, big, fluffy flakes that drifted down slowly and settled on the windowsill.

She wondered when they'd be moving out or, more accurately, if they'd be moving out at all in the near future.

The thoughts continued to float through her head as she let herself doze off.

**Winters**

He'd just finished seeing to it that the men were somewhat settled in for the night when he returned to his hastily prepared makeshift CP. He found Nixon and Strayer both huddled there, talking in low voices.

As he approached, Strayer turned to him.

"I don't have anything new for you, Dick. We're just going to hold the line until they tell us to move out. No attack has been planned as of yet; we're at a standoff of sorts with the Krauts. Which, considering the lack of supplies, may not be an entirely bad thing," he said.

"Well, I'm off to HQ, good luck here, you all will do fine." And with that, he turned and left, heading over to a waiting Jeep.

He started after him in disbelief.

"How the hell does he expect to run the Battalion when he's not even here?" he wondered out loud.

Nixon just shrugged his shoulders and began digging in his coat for his flask.

"Beats the hell out of me, Dick. All I can say is HQ is warm and this isn't. He doesn't want to be freezing his ass off out here any more than we do."

He sighed and gazed out toward the line. Snow was starting to fall more heavily now, accumulating on their coats and helmets.

"Might as well get dug in; there's nothing else we can do tonight."

**Michelle**

It had been four days since the 506th had moved into Bastogne and she was still where they had left her. There was talk about moving closer to the line in a day or two, but no one seemed to be in a hurry to do so.

She was bored out of her mind with no work to do and was left with countless hours where all she could do was think.

She worried about Dick even though she told herself she was being silly. However, the more she tried to force thoughts of him out of her mind, the more she ended up thinking about him. It was a no win situation.

They'd had very little intelligence come in in the last few days and few reports of any enemy activity outside of Bastogne. The higher ups all around her were concerned with the supply problems they were having and were attempting to resolve the issue to no avail. The clouds were so low that the possibility of an air drop had been ruled out and there was no way they'd be able to move enough necessities into the area by truck without being targeted by the Germans.

As she listened to the sound of the officers talking in low voices in the next room, she pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen, attempting to write home, She felt guilty that she had been so poor with her correspondence but as they had moved from place to place and the situation worsened, she had found less and less that she wanted to write home about.

Nevertheless, she decided she was going to try; she owed her family that much at the least.

**Winters**

They had been on the line for about a week at this point. He could swear it was the longest week of his life. Nothing but sitting, watching, and waiting, interspersed with the occasional walk to keep from freezing to death.

The Germans had shelled them a couple of times, but that was it. They hadn't taken any MG fire, any mortar fire, or any rifle fire the entire time they were there.

As he went from foxhole to foxhole, checking up on the men, he became more and more concerned with their dwindling supplies. They had hardly any rations and nowhere near enough ammo to withstand an attack. He had been pressing Battalion and Regiment about the issue but hadn't received an answer yet. He couldn't figure what was taking them so long; either they could be resupplied or they couldn't, all he wanted was a definitive answer so he could decide on a course of action.

He wiggled in his foxhole, trying and failing to get some feeling back in his feet and legs. It was so quiet and still out that night; he would bet that he could hear a noise if it occurred over five miles away, it was that calm. The snow still refused to let up, though it came down lighter now.

He worried about the men on the line; he knew this was taking it's toll on all of them. Already, he was seeing signs of despair in some of them. He'd been trying to pull at least a few men off the line for a couple hours every day, but that only did so much good in the long run.

He felt helpless and hated it. His men were suffering and there was nothing he was able to do to help them out. To ease their situation even a little.

Leaning back against the wall of the foxhole, he closed his eyes and let his mind begin to wander. Before long, his thoughts turned to Michelle. Oh, how he missed her. He supposed he should be thinking of other things at a time like this but he couldn't help it; he loved her so much. He hoped she was staying out of harms way, but had no idea if it was true. He hadn't heard anything about HQ relocating but then again information didn't always trickle down to him.

He couldn't wait to get out of this place and back where he and his men would be warm and dry and where he could see her again, talk to her again, hold her again.

When Nixon came by an hour later to talk, he found Winters fast asleep with a smile on his lips.

**Michelle**

Finally, after more than two weeks, the word had come that they were to move out that day. They weren't going into Bastogne itself, but rather several miles outside of the town. Apparently, an attack was being planned on a place she'd never heard of, Foy, she believed it was, and with HQ closer to the front, it would be easier to handle and interrogate any prisoners that might come their way.

It didn't take long to leave as there were only very few people present there to begin with. She, along with all her gear, rode in the back of a canvas covered truck that bounced and shook its way down the road.

Eventually, they lurched to a halt and she climbed out. She was surprised to find herself surround by large tents but them quickly realized they were at the 506th combat HQ. She followed the others she was with into the nearest tent, dropping her gear where she was told to. Hot coffee was quickly passed around and she was grateful as she felt the warmth spread through her. Her fingers burned where they touched the metal cup but there was no way she was going to pull them away and subject them to the harsh cold at the moment.

Before she realized it, the tent began to clear out, the officers heading to a meeting in another area of HQ, and Sink telling her to stay put for the time being.

Alone for the moment, she glanced around the tent, taking everything in. Suddenly, the flap behind her jerked open, light poured in, and someone stepped inside. Looking at the figure closer, she recognized Captain Nixon, whom she had met several times before.

"Hello, Captain," she said.

He looked startled to see her at first.

"Hello….Michelle, is that you?" he asked.

"Yes, it is. How have you been holding up?" 

He released a heavy sigh and she could smell the whiskey on his breath.

"As well as can be expected, I guess. Things aren't great but they could be worse." 

"Have you seen Dick? I mean, Captain Winters? I didn't know if he'd be with you or not?" 

"Yeah, I've seen him. He's doing alright, I guess. Won't come off the line until all the men do, so you probably won't be seeing him around here for awhile. I'll tell him you're here, though."

"Oh, if you would that'd be very kind."

"Yeah, sure thing. You happen to see the Colonel anywhere around here?"

"He just left before you got here; think he headed a couple of tents over, but I really couldn't tell you."

"Thanks, I'll take a look around. Take care of yourself, alright?"

"I will. And you too. Tell Dick I'm looking forward to seeing him again."

Nixon nodded and ducked back outside. She stood there for a moment, frozen in place, blinded by the light and just thinking.

**Winters**

He'd gotten the orders the night before to prepare for an attack on Foy. He was almost grateful for the order, since it meant they would be moving out of this place and hopefully off the line once all was said and done. However, that didn't mean he was without his share of problems.

They were still critically undersupplied, located in an undesirable position, and he still had Dike in his Battalion. Out of all the above, it was Dike who, without a doubt, worried him the most. The man was never around and he had serious doubts about the man's ability to actually lead troops into battle. His only consolation, small as it may be, was that Easy Company had some excellent NCO's still in it. He knew they'd look out for the men once things started to get bad, but they shouldn't have had to, that was supposed to be Dike's job.

Frustrated, he began going through the plan in his head again. They were going to be moving out in the early afternoon, heading down the slope of the hill, across several hundred yards of flat, open ground and into a German occupied town.

He prayed that night he wouldn't get them all killed.

**Michelle**

Part of the problem with being located at the HQ was that she never found out what had happened until after the fact. Strictly speaking, that was probably a good thing, but she still liked to know what was going on.

She didn't find out about the attack on Foy until the day after it had taken place; even though she had heard in advance that it would likely take place, she had forgotten about it until now. She had heard they'd taken some pretty heavy casualties and tried her best not to think the worst. Her heart leapt when she heard the 506th was moving of the line and into Haganeau, where she and the rest of the Headquarters element would meet up with them.

She had written two more letters home while the 506th was at Bastogne and had not gotten one letter back. She knew that was to be expected, considering they were in a combat zone, but it twisted at her heart nonetheless.

**Winters**

About the only thing good that had come about from the attack on Foy was that he was now rid of Dike for good. Finally.

They were moving into Haganeau that very night; him and his men were loaded into Jeeps and trucks and making their way down the muddy road that led into town.

He was so tired and he knew everyone else was also. He hoped fervently they'd be able to get a bit of rest before being shipped out again, but he wasn't going to hold his breath to find out.

It wasn't until dusk that they reached the edge of the town. They moved in quickly and set up patrols, OP's, and took over the houses that were still standing after being shelled. The conditions weren't too bad, the 4th ID had been there before them and left some stuff behind they could out to use.

He made short work of ensuring the men had rations and a place to sleep before returning to his own quarters and collapsing on his bunk.

**Michelle**

She had already been in Haganeau when the men arrived from Foy. She watched the trucks roll by slowly, mud and ice sticking to the tires and slowing their progress.

She had hoped to run into Dick that evening but wasn't able to spot him anywhere. Giving up after awhile, she turned and headed back inside. She'd ask around and look for him tomorrow, she thought as she climbed into bed.

The next morning, she wore to a loud crash downstairs and quickly moved to the door to peer over the railing of the stairs to look. The staff officers in the house hadn't noticed the noise and were asleep, or rather, passed out from alcohol in various spots around the house. Keeping her eyes focuses on the lower level she waited and saw figure cross the floor before long.

"Captain Nixon," she called out softly. "What are you doing?" 

His head snapped up and he looked startled to see her.

"Michelle. Didn't realize you were staying here. I was just looking around for something but it's not here, so I'll be going. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Have you seen Dick? Is he okay? I looked for him last night and didn't see him anywhere."

"Dick's fine. He's probably still asleep, but who knows. I'll show you where he's staying if you want."

"Would you? That would be wonderful. Please, just let me get my shoes and coat."

Ducking back into her room, she finished dressing quickly and headed down to meet the Captain. He headed toward the door and she followed.

Making their way down the deserted street, they traveled a few hundred meters to what much have been the officer's quarters. Nixon stopped by the front door. Dick's room is at the top of the stairs to the right. You'll see it. I'll see you around. Okay?"

She nodded and watched him walk down the street. Quickly, she took the knob in her hand and pushed the front door open, not sure who she'd find inside.

Taking a quick look around, she found the downstairs to be deserted. Heading for the stairs, she made her way to the first room on the right. Stopping in front of the door, she knocked softly, receiving no response.

Opening the door a little, she called out quietly.

"Dick? Are you in here?"

No one answered, but she could hear the deep breathing of someone fast asleep. Opening the door a bit further, she saw tousled red hair on a pillow and smiled, slipping quietly inside and closing the door behind her.

Carefully, she made her way over to where he slept. She knelt be the bed and took a long moment just to watch him. He looked so exhausted, it broke her heart. Reaching out, she gently smoothed his hair. Unfortunately, that small movement was enough to wake him. Before she knew it, she found herself staring into a pair of blue eyes she hadn't realized she'd missed so much.

"Hi," was all she managed to say.

His face lit up as he recognized her.

"Hi," he replied, reaching out for her, wrapping his arms around her and tugging her onto the mattress with him.

"I missed you so much," he said, kissing her softly.

"I've missed you too."

He yawned then, eyes beginning to close.

"Go back to sleep, Dick. I'll be here when you wake up."

"Alright," he murmured, already mostly asleep.

"I love you," she whispered softly.

**Winters**

It had been a busy couple of days. He had been delighted to wake up to the sight of Michelle there next to him, he'd missed her so much. Unfortunately, they hadn't been able to spend much time together and he'd been busy with the two combat patrols Sink had ordered.

Though the first on could have gone off a lot worse, he was still I bitter about losing a man in such a senseless way. That was part of the reason he couldn't bear to send out another patrol, even though those were his orders.

However, it looked as if no one would ever know the patrol had never happened; he was sure none of the men were going to say anything and he knew Nix and Speirs wouldn't either.

It was things like those that made him realize the Army wasn't the place for him. He couldn't handle having to follow such senseless orders for such little gain.

What did please him, though, was that they had orders to move out for Germany in the morning. It finally looked as if the war may be over before long, a thought which cheered him immensely..

**Michelle**

They had moved into Germany with little resistance from the German Army. It was a beautiful place, that much she had to admit. The houses and landscape were beautiful and the weather was warm. It looked as if the war was almost over.

**Winters**

They had moved into and out of Germany rather quickly, securing several strategic locations as well as Hitler's Eagle's Nest. The best news came on their second day in the country-the German Army had surrendered. The war in Europe was over. They had lived and he couldn't believe it.

Within several days, they'd received orders to move into and occupy Austria.

Once again, they were moving out, but this time, there wasn't an enemy to fight.

**Michelle**

If she had though Germany was pretty, there was no way she was going to be prepared for the incredible natural beauty of Austria. It was picture perfect and if she hadn't seen it for herself, she would have had a hard time believing such a lovely place existed.

They had been there for a week or so as an occupation force when Dick came up to her one afternoon and pulled her away to take a walk.

He seemed nervous and when she called him on it, all he could do was blush.

"Dick, what's on your mind? Is everything alright?" 

"Everything's fine, I didn't mean to worry you. I just have something to ask you. If you want to say no, it's perfectly fine, but I just was curious."

"What is it?"

"I know your family isn't here and we're not home yet, but would you consider getting married here? It's such a beautiful place and the Chaplain, Father Maloney, could do a quick service….."

She felt a smile spread over her face.

"Dick, that's a wonderful idea. How soon do you want to do it?"

"I talked to Father Maloney earlier today and said he could do it this afternoon if we wanted."

"This afternoon? That's fast." Seeing the look on his face, she quickly continued.

"It's also perfect. Let's go find him now."

He grinned at her and gave her hand a gentle squeeze as they headed slowly back to town.

**Winters**

He had been so relieved when Michelle had agreed to go ahead with the service here; it seemed like such a perfect place to do it that he couldn't pass up the opportunity when it came along.

He had been fool enough to mention his idea to Nix and was now slightly afraid half the Battalion would show up to watch the ceremony. Oh well, to late to worry about that now. He smiled over at Michelle as they neared the edge of town.

**Michelle**

Less than an hour after Dick's proposition, she found herself and Dick standing in front of Father Maloney with a good number of enlisted men and officers gathered around to watch. As the Chaplain pronounced them husband and wife, she heard whistles and shouts from the crowd behind. The noise intensified as Dick leaned in to kiss her, lips gently meeting hers and pulling her close.

Slowly, the hoots and hollers faded away, the only sensation being that of Dick, his mouth, and his arms, a beautiful combination to be sure.

**Winters**

He felt himself blushing as he pulled away and the men were still cheering. Suddenly, a voice called at ease and Colonel Sink stepped out of the crowd.

"We'll, I hate to interrupt this little scene here, but I've got some news which I think will make this day even better. The Japanese have surrendered. The war is over." 

No one moved a muscle as they all let the news slowly sink in. The war was over. They were going home. They had lived.


	8. Chapter 8

**Michelle**

Later that night, she found herself sitting on the balcony of her and Dick's quarters in the 2nd Battalion HQ. The sky was not yet quite dark and the vivid reds and purples painted a gorgeous picture against the rugged mountains in the distance and crystal clear lake several hundred yards away.

Light from an oil lamp sitting on a small table just inside the doorway cast gentle shadows on the ground around her and reflected off her simple gold wedding band.

Dick wasn't there; he'd gone to check on the men before the evening turned to night, but she expected him back shortly.

The war was over. She had a difficult time comprehending those words, though they were the most welcome ones she'd heard in years. It was hard for her to recall a time when there hadn't been war, or at least the threat of war, looming over their heads. It gave her a strange feeling of freedom, as if she'd been released from a sentence she didn't know she'd been issued.

She could go home now, see her family, hug her parents and laugh with her sister, all things she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to do again.

And, of course, there was Dick. Her family would love to finally meet him. She'd written them a letter earlier that very day, telling them of her wedding and how she was sorry they hadn't been there with them but that she'd be sure and make it up to them somehow.

Laughter floated up softly from the street below and she glanced over the edge of the railing in an effort to catch a glimpse of who was still out. Unfortunately, the darkness had closed in while she was thinking and her attempts were useless.

Sighing, she shifted in her seat and leaned both her elbows on the table, clasping her hands together and placing her chin on top of them.

So this is what peace felt like.

**Winters**

The streets were dark by the time he was finished with his inspections, but light flowing out of windows along the way provided more than enough illumination for him to get where he was headed.

A gentle breeze came off the lake and ruffled the hair poking out from underneath his cap and his boots crunched through the gravel scattered here and there along the path.

As he walked, he lost himself in his thoughts. He couldn't believe the war was really and truly over. Sure, they had all felt it was easing off for a while now, but for it to be over, for there to be no more fighting and killing awoke in him a feeling he could not describe.

He'd be able to go home and take Michelle with him.

God, he thought, would he even recognize the States anymore? Would he recognize his family, would they recognize him?

For the first time in a long time, he began to feel true hope, began to feel he may truly be able to live a life outside of war, and it filled him with a warmth that was incredible.

He couldn't wait to get back to his quarters. As excited as he was, he was also exhausted. He was eager to see Michelle, speak with her, kiss her and hold her close.

The wedding ring on his finger was heavier than any M-1 or field pack he'd ever carried, mainly because he was bound to another person whom he loved more than anything in the world. He hoped he'd never disappoint her, never let her down.

As he neared 2nd Battalion HQ, he spotted the light on in the quarters they shared and saw a figure sitting on the balcony, softly backlit by the light coming from inside.

A smile crossed his face and he picked up his pace.

They were going home.


End file.
